Prowlers
Mondi Nuovi

New album for the Prowlers, undoubtedly one of the most original and competent names among those who emerged in the new wave of the Italian new prog scene of the '90s. The Prowlers – authors of a small classic like Sweet Metamorfosi released by Mellow Records in 1997 – effectively returned with the excellent 2011 album Sogni in una goccia di cristallo after a ten-year absence. Now it's the turn of this Mondi nuovi, which coherently continues their artistic journey.

The group's style incorporates various influences. You can feel the great lesson of Italian prog which, however, is reinterpreted not in a formulaic way but with modern sensitivity. Other names that come to mind are the Pink Floyd and the Renaissance for the instrumental blends, but the music of the Prowlers shines for its own peculiarity, defying easy labels.

The line-up comprises Alfio Costa on keyboards, Roberto “Bobo” Aiolfi on bass, Stefano Piazzi on guitars, Giovanni “Giana” Vezzoli on drums, and the talented Laura Mombrini on vocals, whose distinctive timbre uniquely characterizes the Prowlers style, giving it dreamlike nuances. The strength of the Bergamo-based group has always been to create convincing and dreamy melodies, combining symphonic-rooted prog with psychedelia, always managing to be tasteful and measured. A unique, timeless sound that is confirmed in this Mondi Nuovi, presented with a refined cover by Davide Guidoni.

The style has actually softened, losing the harder rock and darker moments, but it remains recognizable and original nonetheless. The initial title-track exemplifies the romantic and delicate mood of the album in this sense. The following "Viva ancora" has an unforgettable melody supported by the prog sounds of the great Alfio Costa's keyboards and Laura Mombrini's voice. "Guardando dentro te" has a dark space-rock start and then turns into a folk-prog track characterized by the strings – played by the Suite Orchestra di Chiari – and the acoustic guitars. "La Danza di Madre Natura" is another great song characterized by bucolic and pastoral landscapes that boasts an epic instrumental progression. It reminded me of something from Fabio Zuffanti's Hostsonaten. "Melaquadro" is a gentle singer-songwriter ballad for acoustic guitar and voice. "Giovane Falco" is also beautiful – symphonic with a nice text evoking Native Americans – and "Ultima Notte" clearly shows the influence of Italian prog from various groups like Banco, Trip, and Un Biglietto per l’Inferno as well as in the short instrumental "Capriccio in A." "Disordinaria" is instead a long track where the various instruments – the bass, the ever-present keyboards, the guitar, and the strings – dialogue with each other in a cinematic atmosphere that gives you chills, where the voice is always the protagonist. The quiet, dreamy, and Floyd-esque "Soldato Stanco" closes the album.

Overall, it is an excellent album that I highly recommend to fans of prog, but not only to them. Don't miss the chance to discover the Prowlers.